Who. What. Wear.: Blast from the past - An '80s tribute

The most important lesson to learn when channeling a specific decade through your wardrobe: Never look like you're wearing a costume. Pulling from something modern yet understated is a great way to pull it off. A simple top such as this Aeropostale cropped tank works. Another option could be a baggy V-neck men's undershirt.

Fashion in the '80s was awful, from MC Hammer-inspired parachute pants to hyper-colored everything - and let us not forget the holy grail of hideous, the scrunchie. It's obvious why many refer to it as the ugliest decade ever.

Which is why I threw a toddler-sized fit last year when Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga tried to perpetuate shoulder pads, and girls began wearing the mom-jean short-shorts.

Luckily, designers bypassed that wretched era and continued into the '90s this season.

This fashion triumph would have been the perfect segue into a column highlighting a few of my favorite things: grunge, slip dresses and crop tops; instead, I was inspired to revisit my gnarly awkward years when I saw a poster announcing "Back to the '80s," a musical being presented by the Victoria West High School fine arts department.